Cuffing device for inner tubes



1,637,467 1927' w. BIERMAN CUFFING DEVICE FOR INNER TUBES or-izinalFiledJul}! 14. 1925 I'NVENTOR Edwin W52 erman MATTORNEY Patented Aug. 2,1927.

UNITED. STATES PAT NT OFFICE.

' EDWIN W. BIERMAN, or xnoxux, IOWA, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARDFOUR TIRE 00.,

or xnoxux, IOWA, A CORPORATION or IOWA.

CUFFING DEVICE FOR INNER TUBES.

Original application filed July 14, 1925, Serial No. 43,453. Divided andthis application filed April 17,

: i, i 1926. Serial No. 102,642.

Mypresent invention relates to splicing endless or annular tubes ofrubber or the like, such as the inner tubes commonly used in automobiletires and concerns more particularly an improved device for folding orcuthng the endless tube prior to its introduction into the vulcanizingmachine. This de vice makesipossible a method of cutiing which isextremely expeditious and simple, the tubes being delivered to the moldin properly folded position, and is readily'in- 'serted therein with theannular splice in contactwith the mold walls. V

The methodof using the device includes inserting the deflated annulartube through a narrow slot. in an approximately cylindrical mandrel,inflating the tube, folding the tube work over the mandrel to form atwo-ply cuff,then deflating the tube and removing the same from themandrel. I t

For the vulcanizing part of the method, the expander is run into thecuff and separated fromthe hot mold walls by two plies of tubingthroughout a semi-circumference and fourplies of tubing throughout theother semi-circumference.

' The device may be more fully understood from the following descriptionin connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

mandrel; and

Figs. 2, 3 and f are perspective views illustrating successive steps inthe operation of cutting the tube. I p i The cufhng device is shown inperspective in Fig. 1, where it will be noted that itincludes asubstantially cylindrical form 40, constituting a folding guide having anarrow longitudinally extending slot 41 therein, the end corners ofwhich are curved as at 4-2 to prevent catching or tearing the tubes, andthe rear edges are slanted as well as curved as at 42. A shank 13 formsan extension of one side of the cylindrical end and terminates in ahandle member i f of approximately semi-circular cross-section. As seenin Fig. 2, the slot 41 permits a de- Fig. l is a perspective view of thecutting flatedtube 45 to be readily inserted within the cylindricalfolding guide 40. After the tube has been inserted, it is inflated as inFig. 3 through the usual air valve 46. This inflation makes the foldingor cufling operation very easy and the tube is folded back overtheoutside of the folding guide 40 in such a manner that the splice 47therein is disposed on the outside of the double ply cuff. The tube isthen deflated and the mandrel slipped out. I

The properly cuffed tube is then ready to be inserted inthe vulcanizingmold.

This application is a division of my prior application, SerfNo. 43,453,iiied July 14., 1925. v

I claim:

1. As a new article of manufacture, a cuff .ing device for an endlesstube, including an approximately cylindrical tube-folding guide having arelatively wide slot therein through having a relatively wide slottherein through which the endless tube is adapted to be in serted priorto being folded back over the guide, said guide being of small diameterin comparison to the endless tube to be cuffed by it, thus permittingready removal of the cuffed tube, and the corners of said slot beingrounded to prevent tearing of a tube during its insertion in or itsfolding over the folding guide.

3. As anew article of manufacture, a cuffing device for an endless tube,including an approximately cylindrical tube-folding guide having arelatively wide slot therein through which the endless tube is adaptedto be inserted prior to being folded back over the guide, said guidebeing of small of a tube during its insertion in or its fold diameter incomparison to the endless tube ing over the folding guide. to becufli'ed by it, thus permitting ready' Signed at Keokuk in the county ofLee 19 removal of the cufled tube, and the forward and State of Iowa,this 14th day of April,

5 corners of said slot being rounded and the A. D. 1926; e

' rear edges of said guide adjacent said slot being sloped forwardly toprevent tearing EDWIN W. BIERMAN.

